Books,  Five Stars,  Review,  YA

Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins

15 November, 2011

Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Published: September 2009
Pages: 472 

Summary – Katniss Everdeen miraculously survived The Hunger Games but she did so under the watchful eye of the Capital and everyone in Panem. Consequently her triumph started something completely out of her control; an uprising. So, while she should be enjoying a peaceful and happy life since she didn’t let the Games ruin her, the Capitol want revenge. They simply cannot sit by and let her get away with it. And so, Katniss is lead on a journey to salvage what may already be too late to save and it’s her friends and family who will suffer if she fails…

FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS *****

As I started reading the second book in this trilogy, I did so with an ongoing love for Suzanne Collins and her writing style. I expected the book to be good as I had been told by many different people and I was fortunately not lied to. This book had me captivated from beginning to end and I was often infuriated when my life got in the way of my reading time because I simply wanted to read through the book and find out exactly what was going to happen.
Once more, Collins did not fail to disappoint. Your whole life becomes revolved around Katniss and her story and you feel so connected to her that when things suddenly take a turn for the worse, you find it nearly impossible to stop reading. Every thought that passes through her head you can understand on a different level. It may not be happening to you but you can imagine that that is where your head would go in that situation. Not exactly there but simply the way it works, you think one thing and then something happens and you have to rethink everything. Thoughts are never the same, they will always and forever change. Collins captures this beautifully and it is for this reason that you are truly pulled into the story.
Of course, the plot is also another reason that you find yourself turning page after page and I certainly didn’t see the twist at the end. I’m trying not to release any spoilers in this review and so it is hard to describe at what moments I was truly engaged in the story but in my opinion the book had just enough twists and turns, just enough shocker moments and tension building scenes that it keeps the reader thouroughly entertained. There isn’t too much information thrown into your face at once and it follows a fairly easy to follow storyline which is always a plus in my book.
The characters, just as they were in the first book, are so well written that I am just in awe by it all. Every single one feels real and alive as you read over the words that connect you to these fictional beings. Cinna is one character that will forever continue to be my favourite and while he is generally a sideline character, he still has enough character development to read as a normal person would. Katniss is a character that is strong but doesn’t acknowledge or know of her own strength and she is just a well-rounded protagonist who acts on her own instinct and not the way that other people want her to act. I love how much she cares for her family and friends and would always put them above her own life; everything she does is for them.
Finally, as a last thing to add to this review I must say something about the romance in this novel. And well, all I really want to do is take Katniss by the shoulders and scream at her to understand that the way she feels for Peeta is love. I love the connections between these two characters and I have to admit here and now that I will forever want them to be together. Peeta is definitely my second favourite character of the series and I just hope that Katniss realises how much he means to her in the third and final instalment!
While this book was not loved by me as much as the first one was, it was still a brilliant read and one that I would happily recommend to others. 
Faye

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